SoftTop

Out today (19th February), Brighton’s SoftTop share the orchestral, waltzing anthemia of new single ‘Runaway’ via Crafting Room Recordings (Ellis-D).

Creatively spearheaded by keyboardist/vocalist Miles Goodall, and featuring musicians/producers of beloved Brighton acts like Hutch, Ideal Living and TINMAN in its seven-piece ensemble - SoftTop’s sophomore single is dazzlingly ambitious in scope, in spite of the band’s knowingly humble appearances. Mingling the melodic sensuousness of a Matt Maltese ballad with fluorescent arrangements of Grizzly Bear, layer after orchestral layer build themselves upon intimate R & B-tinged melody before exploding into the sonorous riches of massed vocal harmonies, cascading drums and gut-wrenching emotion.

Forming part of as-yet-unreleased wider project based around life and events inside a strange, imaginary comatose world - inspired by a near death experience Goodall had when an out of control car narrowly missed him in London - this latest teaser is, at its root, a good ol’ fashioned break-up song, as the lead vocalist himself explains:

‘Runaway’ is an honest and painful cry out expressing the loss of love when you lose someone who felt “like home” leaving you feeling lost; “a runaway”. Musically, elements of the band's eclectic influences filter through the track, particularly Andy Shauf, the Beatles, the latest Arctic Monkeys offerings and Matt Maltese.’

Forming only in March of last year, Softtop have already sold out local venues Green Door Store and Folklore Rooms, played a pair of headlines at Guildford’s Boiler Room, and took the lead in bringing together the Brighton music scene for a charity day-festival Mumfest, raising money for the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Liverpool after Goodall’s mother was diagnosed and treated there. A product of the collaborative and nurturing Brighton alternative music scene - Crafting Room Recordings is notably run by Archie Sagers of ladylike - SoftTop’s latest release provides yet another insight - if any more was needed - into the innumerable wealth of musical talent currently emerging from this prolific seaside city.

To support the single’s release, SoftTop perform a special headline show at Brighton’s Folklore Rooms on 19th February (with support from Martha eve and Etienne) - tickets available here

Soft Top are: Austin Pritchard (Guitar, Vocals), Owen Bullock (Drums, Vocals), Bobby Smyth (Clarinet, Vocals, Percussion, Producer), Charlie Bogg (Bass, Vocals), Oakley Flavell (Cello, Vocals), Jamie Broughton (Trumpet, Vocals), Miles Goodall (Keys, Lead Vocals)

Formed in March 2023, SoftTop began as the alias and latest brainchild of songwriter Miles Goodall.

Pooling together elements of Miles and the band's influences (Andy Shauf, Matt Maltese and Steely Dan to name a few) SoftTop pairs honest story-like lyrics with generous decorations from a seven piece band (Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboards, Clarinet, Cello, and Trumpet). SoftTop's music aims to pull at your heart strings, even if only very gently.

The band of multi-instrumentalists have individually mastered their crafts across the other projects they feature in (Hutch, Ideal Living, Sad Dads, TINMAN, Slant, BobbySmiles) and are all songwriters themselves, providing a unique balance of written parts that truly serve each song.